The German Book Office has selected The Collini Case by Ferdinand von Schirach, translated by Anthea Bell (Viking, $25.95, 9780670026524) as its November Book of the Month.
A bestseller in Germany that led to changes in German law dealing with war crimes in World War II, the first novel has special resonance because it is by a prominent defense lawyer and author of popular short stories who is also a grandson of Baldur von Schirach, a member of Hitler's inner circle.
The GBO described the book this way: "The Collini Case is named after Fabrizio Collini, who is an elderly man, recently retired after 34 years at Mercedes Benz. He's led an unremarkable life until the hot summer day when he walks calmly into one of Berlin's most exclusive hotels and brutally murders prominent industrialist Hans Meyer. Then he walks downstairs and tells the receptionist, 'Room 400. He's dead.' He sits down in the hotel lobby and waits to be arrested.
"Caspar Leinen has been a qualified lawyer for exactly 42 days when he signs on to be Collini's defense lawyer. A not-guilty verdict would make a remarkable start for his career, but how can he defend a man who admits to the murder but won't say why he did it? As Collini's case grows in notoriety, Caspar knows his career is at stake. Desperate for a lead, he begins to investigate Collini's past. In doing so, he makes a shocking discovery that could not only win Collini his freedom, but also expose a terrible secret at the heart of the German justice system. If he goes public with his knowledge, Caspar will lose a dear friend and the last link to the only happy part of his childhood. If he doesn't, Collini will spend the rest of his life in prison."